[Bioperl-l] Build.PL, 'requires', 'recommends', and optional modules

[Chris Fields]

On Dec 10, 2008, at 11:43 AM, Dave Messina wrote:

> Hey everyone,
> So in testing the latest bioperl-live, I noticed that there's a new
> dependency for Microarray::Tools::ReseqChip, namely  
> Statistics::Frequency.
>
> I seem to remember at some point during the Build process, I would get
> prompted if I want to install optional modules, but I wasn't, and  
> poking
> around in the Module::Build docs I couldn't find the details.
>
> Since, according to the docs for Microarray::Tools::ReseqChip  
> indicate it
> relies on Statistics::Frequency, I think S::F should go in the  
> 'requires'
> block in Build.PL, right?
>
> And wouldn't that also be true for the other external dependencies of
> M::T::ReseqChip, Spreadsheet::ParseExcel and Spreadsheet::WriteExcel?
>
> Or do all three of those go in 'recommends'?

Sorry, been caught up with non-bioperl-related work.  I'm able to get  
back to it a bit more this week now.

You definitely want 'Recommends'; this module isn't required for core  
functionality.

> Whether 'requires' or 'recommends', could someone refresh my memory  
> on how
> this works, and in what way one gets prompted for uninstalled modules?
>
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
>
>
> (By the way, I know that this module was just added and so all of the
> twiddly setup stuff might not have been done quite yet. I'm not  
> complaining
> -- this just triggered my curiosity about how this works...)

Literally just added in.  I'm still working out semantics on these  
modules off-list with Marian (trying to remove the  
Statistics::Frequency dep), but if you want you can go ahead and add  
in the additional dependencies and I'll correct it later.

I'll post something to the list in a second which I hope will help  
clarify some things I think all the devs (not just core) expect.

chris